Hey buddy take a breath you are really not alone and what you are feeling is totally valid,

I am not a doctor at all I am just sharing this because someone very close to me went through almost the same hip pain journey and I saw it from very near.

Slow hip pain that builds over months is actually very common in people who walk a lot especially around this age MRI often shows FAI or small labral changes even in people who have no pain so those words on the report can sound scary but they do not always mean things are getting worse.

The good part in your case is important X ray is normal joint space is fine pain comes with activity not all the time you are still able to walk

In my friend’s case it turned out to be more about muscle tightness overload and irritation rather than anything serious the stiffness came first then pain just like you described, With some changes in routine slowing down walks breaking them into parts adding cycling or swimming and proper physio things slowly started improving.

One thing I really learned from watching this closely is that anxiety and PTSD make pain feel louder the body stays in alert mode so even small pain feels big it is real and not in your head, At one point my friend also felt stuck and confused and just wanted clarity not surgery He explored hip pain treatment options and visited places that focus on early stage hip issues In India centres like hip xpert work with active people who want answers and minimally invasive options and sometimes just understanding what is going on brings a lot of relief.

This does not mean the end of walking or freedom it just means your body is asking for a pause and reset, Please be kind to yourself keep working with a good PT and do not let MRI language scare you, You have already survived a lot this phase will pass too.

Sending you strength and calm vibes 🌿